what is a chain of custody?what is actually breaking the chain of custody.?

Answer 1

Ok, quick course.

Police are investigating a shooting.

They find a 9mm shell casing at the crime scene.

The Chain of Custody begins then.

The investigator must collect the shell casing, bag it and tag it, with where they found it, under what circumstances and the name of the officer who found it.

The shell casing would then go to the Police lab.

The lab would have to sign for the shell casing, noting who they received it from, when and what time. Also exactly what they signed for.

While the lab is investigating the shell casing, everyone who handles the casing, every time, it must be logged.

When the shell casing is not being looked at, it must be stored, either in the lab or in the evidence room.

It must be logged in and logged out with a paper trail, showing who has possession.

This will continue all the way to the trail, if there is one, where the shell casing is used as evidence.

The chain of custody, shows who had acess to the shell casing from the time it was found at the crime scene to it was presented as evidence.

Breaking the chain of custody, would be the shell casing be moved with out being logged.

IE: someone picked it up from the evidence room and didn't log it out.

The reason they do this, is to prove that no one could have tampered with the evidence,

IE: replacing the shell casing with another shell casing.

Answer 2

Chain Of Custody Definition

Answer 3

This is usually in reference to evidence. Say a cop stops a car and takes a few ounces of weed off the driver. The state or feds bring charges against the driver. Questions of the chain of custody would come up when one would want to inquire WHO the evidence has been with and WHERE that drug evidence has been during the time between the stop and trial. Was it checked into an evidence room at the police station? Who has had access to the evidence? That type of stuff. If you break the chain of custody- this would be like if the drug evidence was misplaced and showed up somewhere else or some unauthorized person handled it. This all has to go to proving guilt and preserving evidence.

Answer 4

Chain of custody refers to evidence in a crime. At a crime scene or during an arrest, evidence is found and taken. At this time, it is documented, tested and catalogued for future reference in say court proceedings. Everyone who handles the evidence must sign and prove they had it and why. This is necessary to make sure the evidence was not tainted in some way and it is true. Any evidence that may have been tainted is not admissible in court and therefore may be thrown out.